Personal Listening Profile® Facilitator's Report
Available only on EPIC, the Listening Facilitator's Report is a low-cost, easy-to-understand resource for managers, supervisors, coaches, and anyone who uses the Online Personal Listening Profile® to help groups communicate more effectively.
In addition to including group summary data and facilitation communication information, the Personal Listening Profile Facilitator Report includes Listening Orientation information.
This section includes a table with the percentage of individuals assigned to each of the 15 orientations (i.e., Listening Styles). We use a variety of different approaches depending on the situation, but we tend to use some approaches more than others. What that means is that we have a natural Listening Style that is comprised of one or more Listening Approaches. Ten of these 15 orientations are the result of combinations of two approaches and five of the orientations reflect only one approach.
When a facilitator understands that there are ten orientations that use a combination of two listening approaches, they will have a better understanding of their participants' listening approach in these key areas:
Learning—(Discerning and Comprehensive)
- Purpose of listening is to gather and understand information
- Focuses on facts and details
- Prefers speakers who minimizes distractions and articulate the rationale of their argument
- Identifies the core issues and the relationship between them
- Demonstrates diligent concentration and asks thoughtful questions that go beyond the surface
Goal-Discerning and Evaluative)
- Purpose of listening is to gather and evaluate information to make an informed and accurate decision
- Focuses on details
- Prefers speakers who make strong arguments and are factual
- Aware of the strategies that a speaker is using to persuade
- Expresses a thoughtful skepticism and picks up on small inconsistencies in an idea
Receptive-(Discerning and Appreciative)
- Purpose of listening is to gather information and enjoy a relationship
- Focuses on details and the general tone of the conversation
- Prefers speakers who minimize distractions and enjoy presenting
Attentive to details and aware of conversational cues
- Takes notes and ask questions to verify accuracy
Engaged-(Discerning and Empathic)
- Purpose of listening is to take factual and emotional information
- Focuses on understanding the speaker’s feelings and supporting them
- Prefers speakers who allow them time to process information
- Recognizes the important feelings that lie beneath the surface message
- Sets aside personal opinions and interests to become absorbed in the experience of another person
Analytical-(Comprehensive and Evaluative)
- Purpose of listening is to understand, organize, and evaluate information
- Focuses on the relationship between core ideas
- Prefers speakers who present information in a logical, reasoned manner
- Understands what people mean even if they are not explicit and picks up on flaws in a person’s rationale
- Demonstrates a systematic, scientific reasoning process
Creative-(Comprehensive and Appreciative)
- Purpose of listening is to explore ideas in a colorful and imaginative way
- Focuses on the relationship among ideas and enjoying a relationship
- Prefers speakers who create lighthearted environments and use humor
- Recognizes when a person says one thing and means another
- Relates the information to personal experience
Insight-(Comprehensive and Empathic)
- Purpose of listening is to find the relationship among ideas and build upon those insights
- Focuses on the emotions the speaker expresses and understanding the feelings of the speaker
- Prefers speakers who are open to collaboration and elaboration on ideas
- Recognizes the core of the message being communicated, even if it isn’t directly expressed
- Asks open-ended questions or makes comments to help others express themselves and their ideas
Personal-(Evaluative and Empathic)
- Purpose of listening is to relate to the experience of the other person and prepare for the expression of their own ideas and opinions
- Focuses on facts that support a main message
- Prefers speakers who are accurate and unafraid to share their feelings
- Compares incoming information to their own experience
- Demonstrates a rare combination of skepticism and compassion
Astute-(Evaluative and Appreciative)
- Purpose of listening is to assess the accuracy of the information and enjoy the company of another
- Focuses on seeing things from a unique angle and picking up the unspoken motives of the speaker
- Prefers speakers who deliver well-organized, clever, and engaging presentation
- Separates fact from emotion and can detect hidden motives
- Often enjoys witty and satirical humor
Relational-(Empathic and Appreciative)
- Purpose of listening is to strengthen relationships
- Focuses on the speaker’s feelings
- Prefers speakers who make them feel good about themselves
- Recognizes what speakers want to say even before they do
- Tries to help the speakers express themselves and their ideas
Personal Listening Profile® is a registered trademark of Inscape Publishing, Inc.
